Musical toy



Nov 1, 1949. T. L. BONKOWSKI ET AL 2,486,549

MUSICAL TOY Filed June 20, 1947 Patented Nov. 1, 1949 MUSICAL TOY Teofil L. Bonkowski and Harry Solloway, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 20, 1947, Serial No. 755,996

6 Claims. (Cl. 84-1731) This invention relates to a musical toy and is particularly directed to a single stringed instrument which is played after the manner of a lute.

The principal object of this invention is to provide an educational musical toy having certain novel features of construction, of rugged design and adapted to withstand hard usage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a box structure employing a musical string extending within the box enclosure in tension between end members thereof, together with a slot in the top or cover of the box adapted to receive a slider which engages the musical string.

Another object is to provide such a device in which an opening is also provided in the top or cover in the box in order that access may be had to the string for the purpose of sounding it by means of a pick or similar instrumentality.

Another object is to provide a device of this type in which the tension of the musical string is resisted by the structure of the box.

A further object is to provide a single stringed instrument having an improved form of muflier for dampening vibrations of one portion of a musical string.

Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a musical toy embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 2-2 as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional end elevation taken substantially on the line 3-3 as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail taken substantially on the line 44 as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a partial sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 55 as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail, partly in section, illustrating the ring employed for anchoring one end of the musical string.

Referring to the drawings, the box structure generally designated I includes a pair of spaced end members II and I2 connected by a back wall I3. Recesses I4 may be provided at the ends of the back wall I3 to receive the corresponding portions of the end members I I and I2. A front wall I is provided but the front wall preferably does not extend continuously between the end mem bers II and I2. The members II, I2, I3 and I5 each is provided with an upper groove I5 and a lower groove H for reception of the edges of the top member I8 and the bottom member I9. The top and bottom members I8 and I9 are preferably formed of sheet material of uniform thickness.

It will be understood from the above description that the front and back walls I5 and I3, the end members II and I2, and the top and bottom I8 and I9 cooperate to form an enclosure. This enclosure may be designated by the numeral 2 20. The various members which cooperate to form the box structure I0 and to define the enclosure 20 may be joined by any suitable means such as, for example, the fastener elements 2|, glue, etc.

The top member I8 is provided with parallel edges 22 and 23 defining a slot 24, which extends from the extreme boundary of the top member I8 on the left side thereof as viewed in Figures 1 and 2 and terminates at 25. Positioned directly below the slot 26 within the enclosure 20 is a musical string 26. This string may be formed of any suitable material and we have found the piano wire to be very satisfactory. The string 23 extends through an aperture 21 provided in the end member II and forms a loop around the anchor ring 28. Tension in the string 26 holds the anchor ring against the outer surface of the end member II and thus serves effectively to anchor one end of the string 25. The other end of the string 26 is wound around the bar 29 which extends within the end member I2 and is turnably mounted therein. A recess 30 is provided in the end member I2 and the bar 29 extends across this recess 30. A crank element 3| is provided on the outer end of the bar for turning it within the end member I2.

The musical string 26 is secured to the bar 29 by any convenient means and is wrapped therearound by turning the bar 29. Means are provided for securing the bar 29 at any desired angular position and as shown in the drawings, this means includes a set screw 32 threaded within the end member I2 and adapted to bear against the bar 29. The recess 3!! communicates with the enclosure 2!] within the box structure Iii by way of the opening 33. A bridge member 34 is secured to the end member I2 and extends across the opening 33 in contact with the string 26.

An opening 35 is provided in the top or cover I8 and at one end of the front wall I5 in order that access may be had to one end of the string 26. A pick, such as that employed for playing a mandolin, then may be used within the opening 35 to sound the musical string 26. In order that the tone of the musical string 26 may be Varied as desired a slider 36 is provided which has a contact element 31 adapted to rest on the musical string 26. The slider 36 is provided with oppositely formed grooves 38 for reception of the edges 22 and 23 of the top member I3 and the slider therefor is adapted to move longitudinally within the slot 24. A reference mark 38 is provided on the upper surface of the slider and a series of indicia 39 is placed on the upper surface of the top or cover I8. If desired, a musical scale 43, corresponding to the indicia 39, also may be provided on the upper surface of the top member I8. The scale 40 and indicia 39 are laid out in such a manner that tones of the musical scale may be produced when the reference mark 38 is aligned with the indicia 39 or notes of the scale 40, the musical string 26 being sounded by means of a pick or other instrumentality.

In order to dampen the vibrations in that portion of the string 26 between the slider contact 31 and the end member H, a mufller element generally designated 4| is mounted on the string 26 adjacent the end member H. This muffler element may comprise a length of nonmetallic material such as, for example, the felt 42, which is enclosed within the U-shaped metallic clip 43. We have found this form of muliler element to be very efficient in operation and susceptible of production at economical cost.

In the initial assembly of parts the slider 36 is positioned within the slot 24 by inserting it axially thereof from the left, as viewed in Figure 1, before the end member H is assembled into the box structure It].

It will be noted that the tension of the musical string 25 is resisted by compression in the top and bottom members 13 and I9 and that this arrangement provides a rugged educational toy which is adapted to withstand hard usage and is not easily rendered inoperative. lhe single string 26 is sounded by means of a pick or other instrumentality extending through the opening 35 and the slider 36 is moved back and forth in the slot 24 to produce the desired musi cal tone. The pitch of the musical strin 25 also may be varied by adjusting the bar as described.

Having fully described our invention, it is to be understood that We do not wish to be limited to any of the details herein set forth, but our invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a musical toy, the combination of; a frame having a top member, a bottom member, and spaced ends, the members and ends defining an enclosure, a musical string tensioned between the spaced ends of said frame and extending intermediate the top and bottom members with in the enclosure, the top member having edges definin a slot therein parallel to said musical string, a slider provided with parallel grooves to receive the edges of the slot and adapted to move longitudinally in the slot, means on the slider adapted to contact the musical string, the top member having an openin therein near one of the ends of the frame to permit access to the musical string for sounding it.

2. In a musical toy, the combination of: a rectangular frame having a top member, a bottom member, and spaced ends, the members and ends defining an enclosure, a musical string anchored on one end of said frame and extending intermediate the top and bottom members to the other end of the frame within the enclosure, means on the latter said end of the frame to secure the musical string thereto and to adjust the tension thereof, the top member having edges defining a slot therein parallel to said musical string, a slider provided with parallel grooves to receive the edges of the slot and adapted to move longitudinally in the slot, means on the slider adapted to contact the musical string, the top member having an opening therein near one of the ends of the frame to permit access to the musical string.

3. In a musical toy, the combination of a rectangular box having parallel top and bottom members and spaced parallel ends, a musical string anchored on one end of said box and extending, intermediate the top and bottom members to the other end of the box, means on the latter said end of the box to secure the musical string thereto and to adjust the tension thereof, the top member having edges defining a slot therein parallel to said musical string, a slider adapted to move longitudinally in the slot, means on the slider adapted to contact the musical string, the top member having an opening therein near one of the ends of the box to permit access to the musical string.

4. In a musical toy, the combination of: a box structure including a top member, a bottom member, and spaced ends defining an enclosure, a musical string tensioned between the spaced ends of said box structure and extending intermediate the top and bottom members within the enclosure, the top member having edges defining a slot therein parallel to said musical string, a slider provided with parallel grooves to receive the edges of the slot and adapted to move longitudinally in the slot, means on the slider adapted to contact the musical string, the top member having an opening therein near the other end of the box structure to permit access to the musical strin for sounding it,

5. In a musical toy, the combination of a, box structure including parallel top and bottom members and spaced parallel ends defining an enclosure, a musical string tensioned between the spaced ends and extending intermediate the top and bottom members within the enclosure, the top member having edges defining a slot therein parallel to said musical string, and having an opening therein to permit access to the musical string for sounding it, the slot extending from one of the spaced ends but terminating short of said opening, and a string-contacting slider adapted to move longitudinally in said slot.

6. In a musical toy, the combination of: a box structure including parallel top and bottom members and spaced parallel end members defining an enclosure, a musical string anchored on the first of the spaced end members and extending intermediate the top and bottom members within the enclosure to the second spaced end member, an element turnably mounted on the second end member to secure the musical string and to adjust the tension thereof, the second end member having an opening therein through which the musical string extends, and a bridge element on the second end member spanning the opening and adapted to contact the musical string.

TEOFIL L. BONKOWSKI. HARRY SOLLOWAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 467,203 Schlittenbauer Jan. 19, 1892 814,541 Hoggard Mar. 6, 1906 1,371,506 Marx Mar. 15, 1921 1,622,219 Bartholomae Mar. 22, 1927 1,750,572 Cloetens Mar. 11, 1930 2,043,121 Quemore June 2, 1936 

